Static Electricity and Electrons

Lab Brief #6

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

Energy never disappears — it just hides somewhere else.

What you'll learn

Static electricity builds up when objects gain or lose electrons through rubbing. Rubbing a balloon on your hair transfers electrons, making the balloon stick to a wall.

Key words

acceleration
How quickly an object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction.
momentum
The push a moving object has because of its mass and speed.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: which will move faster, and why?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

rubber bands

⚠️ Safety first

Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Construct a catapult from popsicle sticks and rubber bands. Launch a marshmallow from different angles and measure the distance. Find the angle that gives the longest launch.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.

Question 1 of 3

What happens when you rub a balloon on your hair?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

What is an electromagnet?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

What causes an object to accelerate?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: Energy Transformation All lessons

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

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